In a week that witnessed so-called Al Qaeda "mastermind," Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, at his military hearing at Gitmo insist that he was "responsible for the 9/11 operation from A to Z" and, indeed, claim responsibility for everything but sinking the Titanic, the letter "c" repeats itself like a bad case of acid reflux. Take, for instance:

" c" as in "criminal:" From London , this morning comes a stunning ruling by the Oxfordshire deputy coroner, Andrew Walker, that what was dubbed a U.S. friendly fire attack, which resulted in the death of a British soldier, in southern Iraq, nearly four years ago to the day, "amounted to an assault," and was "unlawful because there was no lawful reason for it." What's more, eleven lines of the American military's own 1100 line investigation into the incident, an aerial assault on the tank carrying Lance Cpl. Matty Hull, had been blacked out, or deleted. (AP)

Moreover, the British coroner's office that conducted the inquest made no bones about his dissatisfaction with the U.S. military's failure to "c" as in "cooperate" with his investigation into the incident which suggests that the official Pentagon findings were spurious, and concocted. Lance Cpl. Hull, and his family, believe that the interrogation of a British air controller who witnessed the attack has been "c" as in "censored." In a statement to the press, the slain English soldier's widow urged President Bush "to release the 11 lines," in the report, that were deleted so that the "c," "coroner," can get to the truth of who, how, and why this 25 year old coalition serviceman was slain. The question, of course, is: onc e the truth has been obtained, will there be any "c"onsequences in that the American military is not subject to British law?

Oh, and speaking of consequences, what can be more ironic than hearing
the word "criminal" applied to a military operation by our own
government, especially when it comes on the heels of a ubiquitous
confession, by a notorious member of Al Qaeda, in a hearing meant only
to establish him as an "enemy combatant," and to pave the way for
charges of war crimes? Apart from the obvious, namely that only the
Bionic Man could have been involved in as many terrorist attacks for
which Mohammed takes credit, his confession sets the stage for de facto
exoneration of the remaining 550 "enemy combatants" who may now point
the finger at him.

And, in her testimony before a Senate committee, the face behind the
Libby trial, Valerie Plame Wilson, stated repeatedly that she was a "c"
as in covert agent for the CIA working on clandestine operations.
What's more, Ms. Wilson insists, her "cover" was blown by Libby and
company, thus compromising not merely her job, but her personal
security. Clearly, we live at a time in which concerns for "national
security" supersede those of personal security.

But, arguably, the most daring use of what has increasingly become an
essential, if surly, letter of the alphabet comes in remarks by the
"c"hairman of a Senate committee investigating the egregious mis
conduct, and abuse of power, in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys
whose unprecedented midstream presidential termination has aroused the
ire of key Democrats and Republicans alike who are now calling for a
"c" as in controversial attorney general to step down.

Importantly, too, at least one high octane Senate democrat, Patrick
Leahy, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, isn't willing to take
White House blarney, and has authorized subpoenas for a handful of
Justice Department officials. Yes, and Leahy intends to keep going
until he reaches the "c" as in commander-in-chief, saying that it is
his belief that the attorney general and his deputy "misled" the Senate
Judiciary Committee, which is a serious "c"harge. Leahy asserts
"Whether it was deliberate or not we're going to have to find out."
(CNN) Refusing to be bullied, and humbled by a unitary executive
branch, and its claims of executive privilege, the Vermont senator
promises that his committee will "subpoena who we want." Good for him,
and better for us!

Which brings me, alas, to those "c " words that have been missing in
action since the onset of the present regime, one that censors
scientific findings, military investigations, as well as the carnage of
a cowardly, vindictive war:

Why is it that not merely truth, but "c" as in "character" has been the first casualty of the war in Iraq?

How
is it that those who brought us counterfeit phrases like "family
values," and "right to life," have usurped our trust in their contempt
for the lives of those who struggle to provide food and shelter for
their wives and children, those who come home maimed, and disfigured to
join the ranks of the homeless, or waste away in dry rot V.A. hospitals
?

What happened to the kind of "c" as in "courage" that inspired the
framers of the Declaration of Independence to board the Mayflower,
change course, and venture away from "c"oronations to transparent
leadership that is answerable to the people; leadership that doesn't
hide behind dubious concepts like executive privilege, as well as
immunity from charges of war crimes as legitimatized by the Military
Commissions Act. What would folks like George Washington, and John
Adams have to say about the "right makes might" attitude, and religious
intolerance infesting their country today?

When, as a nation, we surrender our collective vision,
and voice, we have lost the framework upon which this nation was
founded. And, in the memorable words of one of the U.S . pilots
involved in what a British inquest has now determined to be the
criminal firing on a coalition tank, "We're in jail, dude." There's
only one way out, and that is to commit to

"c" as in change.

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